9 Tips to Recover from Surgery Faster

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If you're currently recovering from athletic surgery, you're probably itching to get past rehab and back to playing your sport. Following your doctor's orders and waiting for the healing hands of nature to work their magic are fine. But there are other things you can be doing—and not doing—to speed up the healing process. The following are simple tips to get you back in the game faster:

Don't

Smoke. A study showed that smokers had less improvement after lumbar stenosis surgery than non-smokers (Sanden et al., 2011). If healing was better after back surgery, there is huge chance it'll be better after other types of surgery. (See YOU Docs: Q&A on Overcoming a Tobacco Addiction.)

Drink. Alcohol delays healing of bone and soft tissue like tendons and muscles (Jung et al., 2011). So it's best to wait until you are completely healed after your surgery or injury before even considering drinking alcohol, even in moderation. (Read these Alcohol Basics for Athletes.)

Visualize and meditate. Visualization and meditation have been used to improve athletic performance. You can also use it before and after surgery to heal faster and to reduce pain and anxiety (Huddleston, 1996). For more information, check out www.healfaster.com.